Libyan security authorities have exhumed at least 29 more bodies from a mass grave in the country’s southeast, bringing the total number of bodies found to 57. This comes after 28 bodies were previously found in the northern part of Kufra, a large district in southeastern Libya, according to the attorney general.
The bodies found in two mass graves showed signs of gunshot wounds, according to the International Organization for Migration. Kufra is about 1,700 kilometers (1,000 miles) from the capital Tripoli.
Mohamed Fadil, head of the regional services combating illegal migration, said the ongoing rescue operation could uncover more graves. Authorities are collecting DNA samples from the bodies, with prosecutors and the criminal investigation department present throughout the process.
Libya is increasingly becoming a major transit point for migrants fleeing poverty and conflict in search of a better life in Europe. The perilous journey often involves crossing the vast Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean.
In early February, 19 migrant bodies were exhumed from a mass grave in the Alwahat region of eastern Libya, while 10 more were found off the coast of Zawiya after a boat sank.